Prevention is definitely better than cure, especially if the disease is fatal, like cervical cancer. Though life-threatening, cancer of cervix is not inevitable and five simple measures, mentioned here, can effectively decrease your chances of having cervical cancer.
1. Avoid Sexual Intercourse Before the Age of 18 Years
Women who started having coitus early in life are at a higher risk of developing cervical cancer than women who started later in life.
Why is this important?
- Before the age of 18 years, cervical epithelium is physiologically immature.
- Immature, unstable cells of the cervical epithelium are more prone to have abnormal changes, due to the effect of certain infectious agents, transmitted to the woman during coitus.
- These infectious agents act as carcinogens on the immature epithelial cells and lead to pathological changes in them, resulting in cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN), which is the precursor of cervical cancer.
- Some of the cases of CIN progress to invasive cervical cancer, in next 15 to 25 years.
2. Maintain Local Hygiene to Avoid Vaginal Infection
Poor personal hygiene is also considered as one of the risk factors for cervical cancer. Women with hygienic habits are less prone to vaginal infections, and so to cancer of cervix. If vaginal infection occurs, take prompt and adequate treatment.
Why is this important?
As stated earlier, certain infectious agents have a carcinogenic effect on the cervical epithelium, leading to malignant changes. These include:
- Human papilloma virus (HPV)
- Herpes simplex virus Type 2 (HSV 2)
Use of condoms is also an effective way to prevent the infections of the genital tract.
3. Visit Your Doctor for Pap Test in Every Three Years
Women who go for regular health check ups and pap tests, to exclude malignant changes in the cervical epithelium, are at lesser risk for cancer of cervix.
Why is this important?
- Invasive carcinoma does not start all of a sudden. Pre-malignant changes begin to occur in the cervical epithelium, several years before the cancer becomes invasive.
- Pap test detects the abnormal changes in the cervical epithelium.
- The disease is completely reversible when detected and promptly treated at this pre-malignant state, preventing its progression to the invasive form of cancer.
See 14 risk factors for cervical cancer
5. Improve Your Immunity (Most important)
Any exposure to the so called causative factors will not affect you, if you have a strong immune system. For this:
- Eat nutritious food
- Exercise daily
- Avoid mental stress
- Take proper rest and sleep
- Meditate
- Take your constitutional homoeopathic medicine
- Two vaccines, Cervarix and Gardasil, are considered to prevent cervical cancer by protecting against the HPV infection. Girls of 11 and 12 years of age are given three shots within 6 months.
- I personally do not consider this very effective. Read WHY?
Conclusion
If you want to decrease your chances of cervical cancer, you should avoid having sex until 18 years of age, take special care of local hygiene to prevent vaginal infection, and take adequate treatment if infection occurs; also, don't forget to go for regular health check ups and pap tests at every three-year interval. However, most important way is to keep your immune system strong.
